Fabulous Penny will tackle the heats of the Group 2 Black Top at LADBROKES GARDENS on Friday in a bid to improve on her 50 per cent winning strike rate of 18 wins from 36 starts.
Fabulous Penny has had two wins and four placings from her past six Wentworth Park 520m races and followed a slick win there by being run down by Second Exit in a Free-For-All on July 29.
Charlie Gatt, trainer of Fabulous Penny, said: "I have given her two trials at The Gardens to prepare her for the Black Top but she didn't go as well as expected.
"I believed the 515m trip there would suit her so I can only hope she benefits from the experience on the track.''
Gatt is in red-hot form as he landed his first treble in 50 years' training at Nowra on Saturday when he won 365m races with Lockout Paws and Biggest Star as well as landing a 520m event with Super Archie.
The breeding barn still beckons for Midnight Joyce but the impeccably-bred greyhound has had a new lease of life on the racetrack due to being readied for becoming a mother.
Midnight Joyce roared home at Wentworth Park on Saturday night to score her 14th win, and her third at headquarters, for owner Kym Swift and trainer, Lithgow coal miner Mark Swift.
It was Midnight Joyce's first race for three months but the Swifts were confident she would win.
Mark said after the race: "Because I was so keen to breed from Midnight Joyce, I took her off all medication which could prevent her coming in season.
"I was hoping taking her off 'the pill' would hurry up the breeding cycle but instead it resulted in Midnight Joyce going faster in trials.
"A week before Saturday's race I trialled her at Lithgow and she went the best she has ever gone, with a top grade city dog clocking slower time in a hit-out on the same day.''
Despite Saturday's impressive win, which lifted Midnight Joyce's earnings to $56,000, Swift remains keen for her to come in season so he can breed a litter.
The offspring of Midnight Joyce's mother comprise Buck's Future, whose 13 wins include a group 1 Paws Of Thunder at Wentworth Park and $159,000, Watch The Wasp ($111,000 in stakes), Nellie Lost It, the former Bathurst 618m record holder, and Jack Smith's wonderful all-distance bitch Midnight Treat, who raked in $98,000 through winning 19 races.
Generosity of greyhound folk toward their colleagues is common and Preston Rowles has been the recipient of such action from breeder Frank Gatt.
Rowles trained the handy stayer Ritza Ruby, who won 13 races for Gatt and when she was retired and whelped a litter to Collision in December, 2017, he bought one of the puppies.
Unfortunately Rowles' youngster suffered a career ending injury but another pup, a black dog retained by Frank Gatt, became Ritza Coen.
Gatt's black dog won Thursday night's NSW Sprint Championship at Wentworth Park and has now sailed into the semi-finals of the 2020 TAB Million Dollar Chase in October.
When Rowles bitch puppy broke down, Gatt made the generous decision to ease Rowles' disappointment by presenting him with Ritza Ruby, an extremely valuable brood bitch, as a gift.
Frank Gatt, whose sons Mark and Daniel are among Australia's leading trainers, has been enjoying success on the track since 1999 when he owned and trained Hahn Bale, winner of the Group 1 National Derby at Wentworth Park.
"I bought Hahn Bale for $6000 when he was 15 months old from his breeder Paul Wheeler,'' Gatt recalled.
"Paul also insisted on an extra $1000 if the dog won a race at Wenty Park, so I had no trouble coming to the party to fulfil that clause.''
But Ritza Lenny remains Frank Gatt's favourite dog, as the dog returned to the track after an injury setback and took out the 2018 Bulli Gold Cup in a blistering 25.95 for the 472m.
"Ritza Lenny is now at stud and my son Mark has several of his pups which are ready to race and, if they live up to their early trials, are going to be superstars,'' Frank Gatt said.
